The Same Pain
by Hinata and Kiba 4ever
Summary: The pain from a family she lives with, the pain from a family that no longer exists for him, they're the same thing. Can they find comfort from eachother? Mostly SasukeHinata, slight KakashiKurenai, and maybe a suprise pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**Story **: The Same Pain  
**Author** : Your's truely, hehehe...Hinata and Kiba 4ever!  
**Genere** : Romance/General  
**Rating** : K+ (For now!)  
**Disclaimer** : I don't own Naruto. If I did, Cell 8 would be the main team, making an appearence in every episode! Because we all love them!  
**Summary** : All I'm saying for now, is this is a Sasuke/Hinata fic! And I would just like to tell Kiba if he's reading this, that I'm sorry he doesn't get Hinata in this story! Sorry! Don't send Akamaru after me...  
**Chapter** : 1, Night Gazers  
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**Chapter 1 : Night Gazers**

A soft thud could be heard as a door was closed. The enterer, Uchiha Sasuke, hung his dark blue jacket on the nearby coat rack, before entering the kitchen to find something to eat. He scanned the fridge for a while before finding a package of sushi. He took it to his living room, and sat down on the couch inside to eat.

It had been a long, hard day of training, leaving much of his chakra spent. Even after Naruto and Sakura had called it a day, Sasuke refused to stop, pushing himself further. Of course, Sakura had tried to get him to leave, but by now Sasuke was familiar with her whining, and merely ignored her.

After he finished eating, he clumsily dragged himself up the stairs, and to his room. Once he reached his destination, he sat up on the windowsill, and looked out into the night sky. His cold, vapid eyes matched the color of the darkness outside.

As he sat there, not a single sound could be heard throughout the house. Not that that was unusual of anything in Sasuke's place of residence. He had no family to greet him at the door, or to talk about his day with during dinner. There was no one in Konoha who cared about him…

Sure, he had hundreds of fan girls, all of whom stated they loved him, but he knew those were just silly, childish crushes. Those affections would disappear as soon as they met the real Sasuke. But none of them ever got past his looks and cool exterior.

Well…except for one. The one girl who saw him for something other than his looks. The one person who saw his pain, and understood it, feeling it herself. The one person…he could never have, her affections belonging to someone else.

But what could he expect? It's not like he ever made any contact, or tried to socialize with her. When she had been in the hospital, recovering from her fight with Neji, he had been nowhere in sight. He had not even sent her a get well card!

Sasuke sighed as he got off the sill, realizing it was his fault that he could never have her to himself. At least Naruto had the guts to talk to her! Sasuke's eyes slowly closed as he drifted off the sleep, the girl of his dreams still fresh in his mind.

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Hinata was slowly making her way through the Hyuga compound, back from a difficult B-rank mission with her team. Unfortunately, they had not retrieved the scroll they were meant to get. Their opponent had used a summoning jutsu, and had the newly arrived snake attack Hinata. Kiba and Shino had protected her, and defeated the snake, but took too long in doing so, giving the thief time to run far away by the time they finished.

Of course, Hinata had been required to report the mission results to her father. Hiashi had not taken this news well, disgraced that his daughter had caused yet another failed mission. Hiashi than decided to personally train Hinata from now on, assuming it was Kurenai's fault she was still so far behind. Sadness and fear dawned on Hinata's face as this was announced, realizing how little she would probably see of Kiba and Shino if this plan was accepted by the Hokage.

Hinata collapsed on her bed as soon as she entered her room, her body still aching and tired. To her right, on her night stand, stood three pictures. One showed all of team eight. Kiba stood in the middle, one thumb up, and a casual wink on his face. Shino stood on Kiba's right, looking as mysterious as ever, showing no expression (though maybe he was, how can you tell with the glasses and collar?). Hinata stood to the left, a shy smile gracing her lips, and her trademark blush upon her cheeks. She was holding little Akamaru in her arms. Kurenai stood behind the three, looking down upon her pupils with pride and joy.

The second showed a picture of a day at the park with Kiba, Neji, and Tenten. Tenten and Kiba had been teasing poor Hinata about her obvious crush on Naruto. Neji began to explain to them that Hinata was far to shy to actually do anything about it, while an idea began forming in Kiba's head. He walked up to Hinata, and kissed her on the cheek. Luckily, Tenten had brought her camera, having planned on taking pictures of the lake, and quickly snapped the scene with it. Hinata's body was completely stiff in the picture, something in which Kiba had not stopped laughing about for weeks. Neji had also been caught in the picture, showing his eyes twitching, as apparently Kiba's sudden kiss had brought him into protective cousin mode.

The final picture was taken during Hinata's 14 birthday party. In it, Hinata could be seen unwrapping her presents, some of her friends watching from behind her. The thing Hinata liked most about the picture, is that Naruto was sitting right next to her on the couch. Even if he hadn't been in the picture, you would have been able to tell this from how red Hinata's face was.

Even at age 15, Hinata could just not bring herself to admit her love to Naruto. She still had a hard time being close to him, or talking with him. And she never gave up the opportunity to watch him from afar, regardless of what he was doing. Yep…things certainly had not changed much when it came to him for her, and in all honesty, she didn't believe they ever would. But she still didn't have the courage to try and change it. She would not be able to take it if her crush rejected her, so she kept quiet, and tried to be satisfied with what little contact they did have.

Hinata's eyes were glued to the sky, though her mind was still thinking of the new change her father was attempting to make. She could spot a few stars in the vast darkness, stars of the same milky color of her eyes. The soft breeze blowing in from her window caused a slight shiver to run up her body, before she curled up under her covers, her jacket now strewn on the floor. A small tear ran down her face, hating how her father could be so unfair to her.

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The night slowly dragged on for both of these victims of depression, both falling into a troubled sleep. Though they came from different causes, they were both suffering the same pain. Family, love, strength, all reasons for their pain, none of which they had control over. Ultimatly, they each wanted the same thing…someone to love, and to love them in return.

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**4ever** : NOOO! Don't hurt me!  
**Kiba** : Grrr! Piercing Fang!  
**4ever** : Ahhhh!  
**Kurenai** : Kiba certainly doesn't want to share Hinata.  
**Hinata** : He's...just protective of me...I think...  
**Shino** : But he's already kissed you in the story. Sounds like a Kiba/Hinata fic to me...  
**Kiba** : Huh? Yay!  
**4ever** : But he was just messing with her in that scene. In this fic, Hinata sees him as an older brother. ...Uh-oh... Ahh!  
**Kiba** : Get back here!  
**Shino** : Well...I tried to save 4ever...  
**Hinata** : Well...um...if our readers don't mind, please review. If you don't, Akamaru will be really sad. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Story** : The Same Pain  
**Author** : Hinata and Kiba 4ever  
**Genere** : Romance/General  
**Rating** : K+ (I think...)  
**Disclaimer** : If the makers of Naruto would just let me own cell 8, I'd be happy. But NOOOO! They can't even give me them. ...cheapskates...  
**Summary** : Umm...this is kind of a pointless chapter. I hope you enjoy anyways. Ahh! Kiba's coming back!  
**Chapter** : 2, Mastering a Technique

Anyways...as usual, I'd like to thank my reviewers!  
AngelHinata : ...Kind of scary how many times you told me to update. Lol! Jk. Glad it's a cool story. Lol!  
kenshinlover2002: Yeah...we wish it was that simple. Nothing ever is though, huh?  
rinoakes : I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me...I bet your teaming up with Kiba now, huh? Lol! Hehehe! Glad you liked the name. (Or you could just be mocking it. Who knows?)  
oztan : Why does everyone tell me to update 3 times? Lol! Is that going to become a new tradition when reviewing my stories? Oh well...you reviewed, so that's cool. Keep up the new tradition! Lol!  
metalremix89 : I know. Those two words describe them perfectly.  
Sanji and Katsume: Glad I caught your interest!  
wolf-enzeru: Hope I don't dissapoint you!  
I.M. cunning (or sinz XD) : Kiba hasn't killed me yet! I've managed to keep a safe distance. I hope...  
Kichou : Thank you!

Oh yes. I'd just like to tell everyone that I'm sorry! I know this took forever to update. I just recently bought GNT4, and have not been able to stop playing it. I finally finished with this chapter today!

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**Chapter 2 : Mastering a Technique**

"Yahoo!" Kiba shouted in mid air, just coming out of a Double Piercing Fang move. Akamaru changed back into his original form, spinning happily in the air, and landing in Kiba's arms back on ground. Hinata stood a little ways away from them, focusing her chakra to the palm of her hands. Shino was closely watching her, preparing to send some of his destruction bugs at her. Shino took the soft blue glow coming from both of her hands as his signal, and attacked. Hinata began to swing her arms around, extended chakra beams now shooting out of her open palms. Only around ten bugs fell however, before Hinata's accuracy failed her, allowing many of Shino's insects to enter her barrier. A soft scream escaped her mouth before Shino called his bugs off, her chakra lasers now gone.

It had been decided that Hinata would continue training with her team for the time being. Hinata had been overjoyed when she opened the gates of the Hyuga compound in the early morning to find both her sensei and Tsunade standing there. It only took a while for Tsunade to convince Hiashi to allow Hinata to continue her training under the previously assigned jounin instructor, though it had been a while since Kurenai had actually been there to train them, seeming to be constantly busy as of late. Hiashi merely acted like it didn't bother him, and quickly agreed. After that short meeting, Hinata had run out of the compound, and over to Kiba's and Shino's houses. They both wore looks of utter surprise, an emotion even Shino had not been able to hide, when they realized that the shy, little Hinata they knew was taking the initiative of getting them up for training at 7:00 a.m.. On a day off too! Right after each of her two teammates had opened their doors, Hinata had hugged them before asking them to train with her. Shino had merely patted her on the head during her embrace, while Kiba wore an expression of pure joy, Akamaru wearing a smug grin close by, knowing his master had been waiting for that kind of affection from Hinata for some time now.

"Hinata! Are you all right!" Kiba asked in worry, running over to her, Akamaru close behind. Hinata lay breathing heavily on the ground, so Kiba lifted her up into a sitting position. Hinata pushed herself up the rest of the way, clutching her jacket.

"Y…Yes. I'm fine. Okay Shino…I'm going to try again." Hinata said, getting into her stance once again. Shino merely gave her a quizzical look.

"You have already attempted to perform it seven times today, and if I am not mistaken, it takes quite a portion of your chakra to use it just once. I'm surprised your even standing. We will call it a day here…" Shino told her, before heading away from the training grounds.

"Shino! Please wait…" Hinata cried desperately, holding her hand out. Shino turned around to show his attention was hers. "Please help me Shino. I…I can't do this alone. I need to get better at my technique, or father will be upset."

"Than let him be upset. If he tries to do anything to you, tell us and Kurenai. I'd like to see him successfully use the Guardian Eight Divination Seals technique after one day of practice…" Shino calmly replied, before turning once again.

"Shino's right Hinata. No one can master a move in one day. It's dangerous to consume too much chakra, so give it a chance to recover." Kiba encouraged, grinning in hopes of cheering her up.

"B…But I…" Hinata said, her face now looking down. She quickly brought it back up giggling, as Akamaru jumped up in her arms and attempted to lick her cheek.

Kiba just laughed at the two of them, and tousled Hinata's hair a bit. "Hey Hinata…wanna go to Ichiraku's ramen shop to hang out? My treat!" Kiba offered, being very self-confident in his chances with Hinata after her embrace earlier that day. When they had been walking to the training grounds in the morning, Kiba showed no hesitation in draping one of his arms around her shoulders, a first for both of them. Hinata gained a deep blush from this sudden contact, and threw a few quizzical stares at him, but they went unnoticed by the care-free boy walking next to her.

"Oh…I can't Kiba. I…I have to attend a meeting with father and a few other Hyuga members," Hinata informed him with a bit of hesitation in her voice. She was thrown into a fit of giggles when Akamaru made another attempt for her cheek. "Heehee…Akamaru. You're a playful little pup, aren't you?"

"Ah…okay…" Kiba said, a small look of disappointment etched on his face. He watched his best friend and Hinata a minute longer, before calling for Akamaru. "Hey! Akamaru! Get off her, we need to go!" He said with a hint of jealousy.

Hinata gave a small wave to the two of them, and watched until they could no longer be seen. Her face than changed into one of determination, as she turned back around, and began to think of a way to practice her technique herself.

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Kiba's aching feet dragged themselves across the hard concrete surface of the sidewalk. It had been a long day of training, the sun already setting, and he was admittedly quite tired. He of course had hidden this until he was out of Hinata's sight, in which he than began to slump, and could barely walk the distance to his house. He literally did fall down on his backside when a sudden flash of red and white appeared before him.

"K…Kurenai! Can't you just walk up like a normal person!" Kiba shouted angrily, his heart practically leaping out of his chest.

"Well you know Kiba…a true ninja should always be prepared for a surprise attack. You know…like not falling on your butt when someone jumps in front of you," Kurenai mocked with one eyebrow raised.

"Hey! I just got out of practically a whole day of training! Cut me some slack!" Kiba growled, slowly standing back up.

Kurenai's other eye brow now rose, her face showing a look of surprise. "There's kind of a reason I give you guys days off. For resting!"

"It wasn't my idea! Hinata got us up at 7:00 a.m. to train!" Kiba shouted back, fist raised. This fighting was a common occurrence between the two of them. It's not that they dislike each other. This was merely their way of showing their student/teacher affection…or so that's how Hinata described it.

Kurenai was once again thrown into surprise. "Hinata! Oh no…what has her father said this time?"

"I don't think he did anything, but he's definitely the reason for today's burst of desire to train." Kiba answered, lowering his fist.

"Well where is she now?"

"She told me she had a meeting with some fellow Hyugas."

"And you didn't offer to walk her home?"

Kiba thought about this awkward question for a moment, before realizing his mistake. "Aww shit…" he muttered, nothing compared to what was going on in his mind.

_Inner Kiba : WTF! Was I not thinking back there! I could've walked her back home! This beautiful sunset…it would have been the perfect opportunity to kiss her!_

Kiba stormed off the rest of the way to his house, ignoring Kurenai's puzzled stare. After he was out of view, Kurenai turned her attention towards the direction of the training grounds. '_Hmm…it may work on Kiba, Hinata…but I know your probably still training.'_ she thought to herself, before making her way there.

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"Shugohakke Rokujuyon Sho!" Hinata shouted, kicking the string close by her feet, causing her trap to spring. Pieces of hard dog food, which Hinata had sneaked out of Kiba's backpack before he had left, came flying at her. However, she was only able to maintain her chakra beams for a short moment, before she fell down in exhaustion, having attempted the attack for the eight time that day. Her breathing heavy, Hinata barely kept herself up with her arms for ten seconds, before falling all the way to the ground. Her eyes slowly closed, finally fainting from the all the strain she had been placing on her body that day.

A figure dropped down beside her soon after. The newly appeared ninja didn't make a sound while checking over Hinata for any grave injuries, picking her up, and running towards her house.

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The oddly dressed jounin finally made her way to the chakra control area of the training grounds, where Hinata most likely was. Her sharp red eyes scanned the grounds, before accepting the fact that she wasn't here. She than jumped off to the other areas, checking each thoroughly for a certain blue haired, and probably by now knocked out kunoichi. She eventually came back to the chakra control area.

"Hmm…I could have sworn she was merely fooling Kiba in order to earn more time training. Perhaps she truly did have a meeting…" Kurenai told herself uncertainly, before leaving.

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"Hinata…Hinata…wake up," a soft voice called to her. Hinata's mind was completely blank, having no recollection of where she was, or why she was there. She slowly opened her eyes, though nothing came to view immediately, and instead only saw blurs. She did see a black flash go past her view though, causing her to sit up in surprise. When her eyes focused clearly, she saw no one around.

"Byakugan!" Hinata activated her power. It was pointless…she spotted at least 8 people, any of which could have been the mysterious shadow. She returned her eyes to normal, before standing up, turning around, and finding out she had been placed in front of the Hyuga compound. Still pondering who could have brought her there, she slowly dragged herself into her household.

It wasn't long before she ran into her father in one of their many hallways. He was wearing his usual stern look, something that had always caused Hinata to be slightly frightened of him, regardless of being her father.

"Hinata…where have you been?" Hiashi asked her.

"I…I was out training sir…" Hinata stuttered out an answer.

"Training…but isn't this one of those days off Kurenai gives you?" Hiashi interrogated. Hinata gave a small nod of her head. She could have sworn an expression of pride flew past Hiashi's face, but it was quickly replaced once again by his harsh stare. "So have you mastered the move yet?" Her answer was another simple head movement, though this time it was shaken. She than recoiled a bit, expecting her father to be upset by this news. "Do not worry Hinata. I'm not mad. I am simply trying to help you grow stronger, which is why I wish Tsunade would let me train you. Kurenai can not be doing a sufficient job. Anyways, train again tomorrow, and tell Kurenai that I demand all her teaching to be directed towards your progress on that move. When you come back tomorrow, I expect you to have mastered it."

"Yes sir…" Hinata whispered, than bowing, and walking to her room.

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Shino, Kiba, and Hinata could be found once again in the training grounds, practicing in almost the exact same way as last time; Kiba his Piercing Fang Technique, and Shino helping Hinata with hers. Kurenai was once again gone, explaining that she needed to rescue someone from a burning building in a neighboring village. This puzzled her three pupils to no end until Sakura revealed to them that Kakashi could also not be there, as he had to go rescue some old lady from a pack of vicious dogs. All three of the members in team 8 decided Kurenai had inherited Kakahi's horrible lying skills, but didn't dive too deeply into what they were really doing. Not one of them could imagine their sensei seeing Kakashi.

"Shugohakke Rokujuyon Sho!" Hinata shouted for about the fourth time that day as Shino's bugs came at her once again. Chakra beams began to spin around, her hands going at amazing speeds. Bugs began to fall by the dozens, littering the ground around her with their lifeless bodies. Shino's eyebrows rose as he noticed the considerable number of bugs that were dropping. Kiba soon also stopped clawing at a tree to look around at her, noting how long it had been since she first started the attack, and the soft scream that usually came from her when Shino's bugs got through. The only difference is…they were not getting through! They continuously dropped, and soon were creating piles of tiny insects on the ground. After a while, Shino terminated to flow of bugs, any remaining ones coming back to him.

"Hi…Hinata! You…you did it!" Kiba shouted, throwing his fists up into the air in celebration, Akamaru running around her, barking happily. Hinata giggled at the white pup, and surprisingly did not fall down like usual, especially after her first successful attempt.

"Shino…Kiba…Akamaru. Thank you guys…it's only because of you that I was able to do it…" Hinata said gratefully.

"No. You did this of your own free will. All I did was attack you. Ultimately, it was you who pushed yourself to improve that caused you to learn such a high level jutsu…" Shino told her.

Hinata looked down in shyly, embarrassed by the rare flattery from Shino. Kiba walked up to her and gently patted her back. "Wait till you show your father! I'd like to see what he has to say about this!"

"Kiba…I still don't think father will allow you into the compound after what happened last time…" Hinata reminded him. She spoke of the time Kiba had come inside the compound, where Kiba and Akamaru had spotted a Hyuga who looked a lot like Neji. Both still had yet to forgive Neji of his rude actions towards Hinata during their battle, though Kiba held in his anger. Akamaru however could not, and surprisingly bit the Hyuga in the leg, who turned out to be some other branch family member. Hiashi had not been pleased by this event to say the least…

"That's okay. I gotta take a couple of our dogs out to run a few laps today anyways. I don't want to be late for that if I don't want to suffer through another one of mom's punishments." Kiba told her.

"I must move on as well…" Shino stated, for what reasons he did not say.

So the three of them gave their goodbyes to each other, and walked towards their houses, Kiba once again forgetting to offer to walk Hinata back to her home.

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"Are you sure you can effectively use the move Hinata?"

"Y…yes father. I'm ready."

"Very well…than begin the demonstration."

Hinata and Hiashi stood in one of the many courtyards of the Hyuga compound, Neji sitting a little way away from them, observing. Hinata had already informed her father of her successful attempt at her new technique, and was now being tested to see if she was really ready to use it in battle.

She got into her stance, closed her eyes, as she once again began to concentrate her chakra into the palms of her hands. It was not long however, before she heard the distinct sound of a few kunai whizzing right past her, just a nick away from hitting her. Hinata gasped and nearly fell down in surprise from this unexpected attack. She looked in front of her to see her father shaking his head in disappointment.

"Hinata…I have to say, I am not the least bit pleased. I sincerely hope that was not what you've been training all this time." Hiashi said in a stern voice. Hinata's eyes filled with surprise.

'_But…I…I thought…' _she mumbled in her mind.

"Do you honestly believe that technique will ever help you in actual combat? It was taking far to long for anything to happen! If I were actually trying to harm you, I could have struck you with hundreds of kunai before anything would have happened. This is not good enough! Learn techniques you can actually use before being killed. Stick with the custom Hyuga techniques, rather than trying to come up with your own. Do you understand Hinata?"

"Yes father…" Hinata whispered, before walking away, towards her room. She didn't even bow before she left, a tradition of respect in the Hyuga clan.

Hiashi looked sadly at the retreating form of his daughter. A pain of guilt shot through him, "Perhaps…I was a bit harsher than necessary…"

'_Gee…you think?'_ Neji though to himself, looking at Hiashi with a slight glare.

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A few days later, two jounin could be found eating together at Ichiraku's. The messy haired kunoichi politely ate her noodles at a slow pace, her mind seemingly somewhere else. This was only supported by the sad look held on her face. The other silver haired jounin sat close by, eating his noodles at the same pace, due to his curiosity on what his dining mate was thinking of.

"Kurenai…is something wrong? You seem very disturbed today." Kakashi asked.

Kurenai was brought out of her thoughts to look up at him. She thought about what he had asked for a moment, before replying. "Oh…it's…Hinata. She's in one of her depression stages again."

"Depression stages?" Kakashi urged her to go on.

"Yes. Every now and than, Hinata will go through a time period, some longer than others, where she'll be totally depressed, which of course can be seen by her mood and lack of will to train. It's one of the reasons she's such a slow grower when it comes to her ninja skills. These stages are usually caused by something her father does." Kurenai explained, looking down at the bowl in front of her. "Hinata finally used her Shugohakke Rokujuyon Sho technique successfully, but for some reason of which I do not know of, it was not good enough for him. Making him proud of her was the main reason Hinata's been training so hard to master that move, yet that jerk still can't say one good thing!"

Kakashi could tell Kurenai's anger was slowly rising as she continued to speak of Hiashi. He mind began to race towards a solution to how he could help out. A sudden thought sprang to mind.

"Well Kurenai, I'm sure if Hinata would socialize with some people her age, she could discuss her problems with them. That would be a good way of getting some weight of her shoulders."

"Yes, I've though about that too Kakashi. But you seem to be forgetting who we're talking about. Hinata's not going to have an easy time making friends with anyone due to her timid nature. She has a hard enough time usually speaking to Kiba or Shino." Kurenai explained.

"Well…I believe one of the members of my squad would be perfect for helping Hinata with this little family problem of hers." Kakashi informed her, most likely wearing a grin now, though this was of course uncertain due to the mask. (Damn mask!)

Kurenai looked at him with a clueless expression, and began to think of whom he was talking about. Bells suddenly started ringing as she hit a certain face. "Oh! I see. That would be perfect Kakashi. If you could get your student to talk to her, she'd be over her depression in no time!"

"Yes. I'll require some assistance from Asuma though. If he helped too, it'd be a perfect plan." Kakashi said before returning to his noodles. Kurenai once again looked puzzled at this last comment, wondering what on earth Asuma could do to help.

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4ever : I'm currently hiding from Kiba, so I'm afraid you won't be hearing from Hinata, Shino, Akamaru, or Kurenai this chapter. Anyways, what on earth is Kakashi talking about? Everyone wonders Who's he planning to send to Hinata to help her out of her depression. Actually, it's quite obvious. Not much of a suprise, is it? ' 


	3. Chapter 3

**Story **: The Same Pain  
**Author** : Your's truely, hehehe...Hinata and Kiba 4ever!  
**Genere** : Romance/General  
**Rating** : K+ (For now!)  
**Disclaimer** : I don't own anything...but I plan on stealing team 8 one day.  
**Summary** : All I'm saying for now, is this is a Sasuke/Hinata fic! And I would just like to tell Kiba if he's reading this, that I'm sorry he doesn't get Hinata in this story! Sorry! Don't send Akamaru after me...  
**Chapter** : 3, Cheering up Hinata

I'm sooooooo sorry everyone. I started playing naruto foruming games. Sooooo addicting. Anyways, the third chapter is finally here. I promise the 4th will come much quicker than this did. Anyways, reviewer time! YAY!  
CharismaHarmony : It's not that good silly. But thank you so much.  
Luna : Something tells me you're not going to like this chapter much either than...  
valeria146012 : Grr...it's not that obvious. I said so to throw you off. And it is soooo cute!  
oztan : Yay! The tradition is kept.  
Kichou : Yeah he is!  
And thanks to all the rest of you! Enjoy!

* * *

**Cheering Up Hinata**

Hinata slowly made her way through the crowded paths of Konoha, heading towards the training grounds. '_So I can spend another day doing pointless training that'll never make me stronger. Than again…nothing could help someone like me improve…' _she thought to herself, her shoulders sinking even lower. Her face looked down at the ground, her arms hanging limply by her sides. Her gaze only shifted upwards every now and than to either see where she was and where to go next, or to make sure she was not about to run into a passing pedestrian.

She realized that Konoha was always a busy and bustling place, yet Hinata still could not understand why there were so many others out in such an early part of the day. Hinata had purposely gotten up at 6:30 to avoid all of this, yet she still found herself weaving in and out of the masses. Every one of them she noticed, with faces full of excitement and joy, most laughing happily with friends or family.

Hinata continued her funeral-like walk for a while longer, before her head shot up due to a loud and obnoxious voice calling out her name.

"Hey Hinata! Wait up!" Hinata looked through the thorns of people before spotting her greeter, a familiar blonde haired ninja, with someone close behind.

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"You sent who?"

"Kurenai…calm down. Trust me, Hinata will feel much better after they spend time together," Kakashi explained, trying to cool down the surprisingly fuming Kurenai.

Kurenai flopped down on one of the couches of a lodge that the two of them had agreed to meet at. She gave a heavy sigh before discussing her uncertainties, "I don't know Kakashi…Hinata doesn't really share the same interests as…"

"Please Kurenai…don't worry about a thing," Kakashi soothed, wrapping an arm around Kurenai. "My pupil will know exactly how to cheer her up."

"Well…I suppose. You really should get to know your students better though. I don't think your made the wisest choice," Kurenai agreed resentfully. Kakashi looked at her with a puzzled expression at the last comment she had made. He was just about to ask what she meant when she began to speak again, "I still don't understand how Asuma plays into this…"

Kakashi's hand moved to the back of his head, his face now looking nervous. "Well…you see…err…"

………

"Kakashi! You baka!" Kurenai's voice rang out, being heard throughout the lodge, and even a small distance outside of it.

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"Hey girl! How's it going for you?"

Hinata looked in surprise at the two ninja in front of her. She directed her attention towards Ino, who had asked her the question. "Oh…I'm…umm…I'm doing fine…thank you…"

"You don't look fine to me," Sakura said confidently, already knowing of her depression stage. "What's with staring at the side walk?"

"Yeah! All the cute guys are going to pass right on by you without a second thought if your always looking down!" Ino told her.

"Wh…what?" Hinata stuttered, wondering how guys had anything to do with looking at the ground.

"Well you know the eyes are usually the first things noticed, right? And you have got the cutest pair of eyes I have ever seen. It actually makes most girls envious of you!" Sakura said with a smile.

'_E…envious…of me?'_ Hinata thought nervously to herself, a small blush making it's way to her face.

"Surely you've noticed all the guys checking you out when you hold your head up high?" Ino asked her, giving her a wink.

"But of course you have to watch out. More than half of those guys are lecherous perverts," Sakura warned, Ino nodding her head in agreement.

"O…okay than. If…there's nothing else you need, I…I really must get to the training grounds to practice…" Hinata told them, before beginning to walk off. She stopped when a hand grabbed her arm.

"Oh no you don't! Kurenai told us you had a day off, so no training for you. Come on! We're going to hang out somewhere!" Sakura ordered, only releasing her grip when she was sure Hinata wasn't going to try and escape.

"Oooh! I heard of this adorable little coffee house that just recently opened. We should go try it out! Maybe we could take our coffees to the outside benches and…you know…go boy spotting," Ino said with a devilish grin, Sakura soon matching it.

Hinata did not notice these suspicious expressions, as her thoughts were taking up all of her concentration. '_Th…they want to hang out…with me?'_

So Ino and Sakura each grabbed one of Hinata's arms, and began to drag her to the coffee house, Hinata still having no idea what they were going to do when they got there.

Close by the three of them, a certain figure moved discreetly through the crowds of people. On this person's outfit, a familiar red and white symbol could be seen.

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"Kurenai! Really…I think you're overreacting to this. What makes you think my student will fail this mission?"

"Oh Kakashi…I have confidence in your pupils, of course. But really…Sakura and Ino? Why them?" Kurenai sighed, leaning back in her chair, a hand resting atop of her head.

"I just thought since you said Kiba and Shino were really the only ones she ever talked with, she could use some feminine help. It just seemed like a female to female problem," Kakashi slowly explained.

Kurenai looked up at him with a slight glare. "I can't tell if that was a sexist comment, or really bad logic."

"Neither," Kakashi answered.

Kurenai sat up a bit before continuing, "It's just knowing those two, they'll probably try hooking Hinata up with some guy. I don't think a date is what she needs right now…oh shit!"

Kakashi looked up in surprise at this sudden outburst, "What is it Kurenai?"

Kurenai looked horrified for a second before answering, "They know her crush! Sakura and Ino will try hooking Hinata up with Naruto! She'll probably end up fainting, or making a complete fool of herself. That is so not what she needs right now! Embarrassing herself in front of the one she loves!"

Kakashi's eyes widened, "Hinata loves Naruto?"

Kurenai nearly fell off her chair at this comment, "You really are ignorant, aren't you? Maybe if you took your eyes off that damn book for a few moments!"

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Hinata gave a heavy sigh as she lugged around three shopping bags, full of cloths, perfume, accessories, and anything else Ino and Sakura had managed to force her into buying. The other two girls stood on either side of her, each holding at least twice as much as Hinata. Hinata had a strange feeling that something bad besides the empty feeling of her earlier full wallet was bound to happen. She found it very strange that two girls who had rarely ever conversed with her before were now so eager to hang out with her, for apparently the whole day from how late it was getting.

It had not been a bad day so far. When they reached the coffee house, they entered and began waiting in the long que. By the time they received their beverages (Hinata choosing water), it was raining outside, ruining Ino's little game. So she sat on one of the cushioned chairs inside, quietly fuming that her 'brilliant' plan had been foiled, neither Sakura or Hinata having the courage to break the deadly silence.

After deciding the rain was not going to let up, Sakura dragged her two companions outside, where they ran to a large array of shops, all closely compacted. (Sort of a Konoha day mall.) Hinata had to drag the other two away from a few different and expensive jewelers, all of which easily lured Sakura and Ino with some flashy diamonds. They also spent hours in a clothing department, Hinata being bombarded by multiple outfits while in a changing room, all of which she had to try and show her friends before entering again the try the next. Sakura and Ino each chose three outfits they thought looked cute on her, and absolutely refused to let Hinata leave until she bought all six of them. It was the first time Hinata was glad to come from such a noble and rich clan like the Hyuga.

They saw a movie together, and each bought a slushy before entering a perfume department. Hinata did not particularly like any of the scents shoved under her nose, but in order to leave quicker, she merely settled for a couple that Ino and Sakura seemed to like.

By than, the rain had finally finished, so Ino was dragging both of her friends back to their original destination, which brings us back to now. They all entered looking exhausted, though Ino soon gained back her malicious grin.

"Sakura…why don't you and Hinata go outside and find a nice table for us to sit at? I'll get the coffee," Ino suggested. Sakura understood, and immediately walked back to the door, wearing the same expression as Ino. Hinata, still having no idea of their 'plans', followed innocently behind the pink haired kunoichi.

Sakura and Hinata soon found a nice round table, with many comfortable looking chairs surrounding it, and an umbrella overhead. The bright sunlight had already dried of the chairs, making them safe to sit on. Sakura wasted no time in getting to were Ino's and her plan was headed.

"Hey Hinata…I think we should play a little game," Sakura offered, just as Ino came out with three cups of coffee. Hinata looked back and forth between the two of them, a little frightened by their stares.

"Umm…sure. Wh…what did you have in mind?" Hinata asked a bit hesitantly.

"Well…when we came here the first time, I just wanted to look for some cute guys. But…I've come up with something a bit better," Ino explained casually. Hinata nodded for her to continue, "Here's what were going to do. Were still going to look for guys, but here's the catch. If we spot a boy we like, that person has to ask him out. By the end of this day, I want us to all have dates."

Hinata started swaying a bit in her chair at this announcement, so Sakura immediately started fanning her. "I…Ino! W…we can't do that! We can't just walk up to some random guy and…and ask him out…" Hinata said in shock.

"Sure you can. I do it all the time!" Ino said, a bit more proud of it than she should have been.

"Yeah. In fact, Ino can show you how it's done right now!" Sakura giggled, pointing towards a specific spot in the crowds. Slowly making his way up the street, was none other than Shikamaru.

'_Just my luck! Why now!' _Ino thought to herself, pulling her hair out of nervousness. She looked at Sakura with a sort of begging expression, but Sakura merely returned it with one of her 'You better!' looks.

It wasn't that Ino didn't like Shikamaru. In fact, she adored him. She just didn't see him as having the same feelings for her, and if anyone was going to reject her today, she least of all wanted it to be Shikamaru.

Ino took a deep breath, before walking up to him with the best possible posture she could muster.

Sakura was thrown into a fit of laughter as she watched the two of them, Ino's hands wringing nervously behind her back. She talked to Shikamaru for a while before his normally grumpy expression was turned into one of surprise. He than looked a bit uncertain, apparently thinking about something, before he nodded his head, said a few words of his own, and than continued his way towards whatever his destination was. A while after he had left, Ino fell to the ground, apparently unconscious.

Sakura's laughing came to a halt. "That's weird. Isn't that usually your job Hinata?"

Hinata threw a rare glare her way before running over to Ino to help her get up. She supported Ino back to the table, and set her down on her chair.

"Did he say yes?" Sakura asked, though she already knew the answer. Ino merely gave a dreamy smile, staring up at the sky.

Hinata's gaze however was directed back into the crowd. She'd never escape if she didn't do as the other two had asked of her, so she merely wanted to end this quickly. She'd just ask some guy, and after that first answer, '_probably one of rejection'_ she thought, she would excuse herself for the day.

That plan quickly disappeared as she spotted the person she least wanted to see right now. There was no way that was happening right now.

"I…I'm sorry Sakura and Ino. I…I have to go back the the Hyuga compound for…a…umm …meeting!" Hinata nearly shouted, bringing both of her friends to the attention.

"Oh no you don't!" Sakura ordered, pinning one of her arms down gently. "Ino, scan the crowd!"

Ino nodded her head, and started quickly looking through the oncoming traffic. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She stood up and started waving madly at her target. "Hey Naruto! Over here! Come sit with us for a while!"

The addressed ninja looked in surprise over at the coffee house, where he spotted all three of the girls, one of them apparently very eager to get him over there. Naruto grinned smugly at himself as he walked confidently over to their table.

"Sit on that chair there. I'll get you some coffee." Ino pointed to a chair, and than entered the shop, but not before winking at Hinata.

It was silent for a while, Naruto confused as to why he had been invited over. As usual, he was the one to break the silence. "So…did you three want to talk to me about something?"

"Actually yes. Hinata has something she's been dying to ask you!" Sakura said with a sharp grin towards the poor blue haired kunoichi beside her.

"Well…what is it Hinata?" Naruto asked with a look of concern.

Hinata immediately went into her old habit of finger pushing under his gaze. Looking down at the table, she gulped before slowly answering. "I…I, umm…well…Naruto…I…it's just that…"

During Hinata's usual stuttering, Ino came back with the coffee, and placed it in front of Naruto. She looked a bit upset to find out Hinata had still not done what she was supposed to.

"Well…I've always…you see…umm…you give me….and umm…I've always…" Hinata continued, her face getting even redder, if that was possible. Ino was now pulling her hair in frustration.

"Oh this is ridiculous! Naruto! Hinata wants to ask you o…" Ino burst out, but was quickly interrupted.

"INO!" Hinata shouted in an unusually loud voice, jumping out of her chair in hopes of putting her hand in front of Ino's mouth. Unfortunately, as she did so, she knocked her mug down, and the coffee spilled, most of it landing on the bottom half of Hinata's shirt, and a bit on an embarrassing part of her pants.

Both the two blondes and the pink haired ninja stared with wide eyes and open mouths. Surprisingly, Hinata did not blush at this event. She merely stared down at the mess with a look of pure horror. Her lips began to tremble a bit, and a single tear threatened to roll down. "I…I really should be…be going to that m…meeting!" She said in a hurry before running off.

"Poor girl…" Sakura whispered, her heart sinking at the saddening sight.

"I don't get it…why did she not want you to say whatever you were going to say Ino?" Naruto asked, indeed wearing a confused expression.

Ino shot him a glare. "You really don't know?"

"No! And why was she having so much trouble talking to me? She always acts really different around me! Does she not like me?" Naruto asked. Sakura and Ino started laughing, but soon realized he was being completely serious.

"Ino…" Sakura said, a look of death entering her face.

"Right. Three…two…one!" Ino counted.

"OWW! What was that for?" Naruto whined, now sporting two new lumps on his head.

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The next day, Kakashi and Kurenai were back in the same lodge as yesterday. Kurenai was once again fuming, trying her best not to strangle Kakashi, who sat a couple of chairs away from her.

"Kurenai…really. I didn't think Sakura would try something like that. I really had faith in those two," Kakashi tried to explain, though he doubted that was enough for Kurenai.

"I knew this was going to happen. They did exactly what I guessed! Oooo…!" Kurenai pouted, arms crossed. She soon stood up. "Well…you can tell Sakura and Ino they have my thanks for at least pounding that ignorant child. It saves me the trouble. I really shouldn't have left this to you. This is why I told Hinata she can trust her team more than anyone. Guess it's our turn."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked, also standing.

"Nothing of your concern Kakashi. But might I suggest you study up a little on your team? You might find your mistake…" She answered before walking out.

Kakashi stared at her retreating figure. '_Well Naruto was there as well, so that means…hmm. Surely she wasn't thinking of…oh! I see. Hmm…maybe she's right. I could be a bit more ignorant than I give myself credit for.'_

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"Okay…so we'll each try to bring her spirits up. If one fails, than the next will try. So I need you two to each come up with an idea for plan cheering up Hinata." Kurenai told Kiba and Shino in the training grounds. Hinata had not yet arrived, and there was no guarantee she was going to come at all.

"Err…you invented a name for it," Kiba asked, sweat dropping.

"Don't make difficulties Kiba!" Kurenai shot back.

"Yeah yeah…well, I'm ready!" Kiba shouted in excitement, always enjoying a challenge.

"As am I…" Shino informed.

Kurenai looked at both of them in surprise. "You've already come up with a plan?"

"You don't seem to realize how strong a bond of friendship is that grows between teammates. She is our teammate, and therefore we check up on her life regularly. We knew of her depression long before you did…" Shino said with a hint of annoyance.

"Yeah! We've had around two days now to think of a plan, while you wasted time entrusting the mission to Kakashi and his flunkies," Kiba told her before laughing.

"Yes…don't worry. I defiantly don't plan on ever using him as a matchmaker…" Kurenai said grumpily, still remembering how he had not known about Hinata's obvious crush on Naruto.

"Well…how do you propose we go about doing this? We must be discreet towards the reason for our actions. Hinata is not an easily fooled person…" Shino stated in a know all voice. Kurenai nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, explain to me your ideas," Kurenai ordered. So they spent a while going over what they had planned before they heard the sound of leaves being scattered around. The turned to see their blue haired teammate walking up to them, her hands together in front of her, and her disheartened expression pointing towards the ground. Kurenai whispered, "Shino…your up first."

Shino nodded his head in understanding, and stood up, along with Kiba and Kurenai.

As soon as Hinata finally reached her team, Kurenai rose her voice. "Okay you three. I thought this day of practice would best be used with some sparring matches. I will test Kiba's abilities, and in the meantime, Shino, you can spar with Hinata. Everyone got that?"

"Yeah," Kiba answered, Hinata and Shino merely nodding their heads. So Kiba and Kurenai walked a little ways away from the other two, so the two sparing matches would not collide with each other.

Shino stood silently for a while, watching as Hinata merely stood there, in the same exact position she had been in while walking up to the training grounds. He didn't wait for much longer however before speaking up, "Hinata…we should get started…"

Hinata looked up, startled out of her thoughts. She nodded her head, and started performing the necessary hand signs. "Byakugan." She said, though not with the usual enthusiasm. She placed her right foot a ways behind her left, and bent at the knees a bit. Her left palm came out in front of her, while the right stayed beside her waist. The traditional Hyuga stance…

Shino merely brought his hands out of his pockets, bugs now flowing out of the sleeve ends. The bugs began to swarm around him, creating a sort of shield. After a decent size wall of bugs was created, he sent a small swarm at Hinata. She quickly focused her chakra to her right palm, and forced it out as the bugs reached her, slicing through them. Shino sent a few more swarms, one at a time, each being destroyed by the sharp chakra that was exerted from her alternating palms. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Hinata started running towards Shino, her right palm getting ready for a powerful strike to his shield. As she ran, she brought the demise of another group of bugs.

Once she reached her destination, she thrust her palm out, putting as much chakra into the strike as she could. A large blast of blue chakra came out, putting a nice hole in Shino's bug barrier. A small bit of it even got past, nicking Shino's stomach. He gave a quiet grunt before quickly regaining his posture. Hinata was about to take a step back, so that she could prepare for another sharp attack, when she felt something immobilizing her legs. She looked down to see a swarm of bugs attached to both of her ankles. She let out a small gasp as they started crawling higher. When they covered her feet and up to her knees, she began to scream, before…

Poof!

Shino's insects now crawled over a rotting piece of wood. A crunching noise sounded from right behind Shino, the one place his bug barrier was not currently active in.

"Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!" Hinata shouted, striking Shino sharply twice with her middle and index finger. She than spun around before going in for another two. "Four points! Eight points! Sixteen points!" She continued to count while closing off more of Shino's tenketsu with sharp bursts of her own chakra. Her precision was a little off, causing her to miss a few, but she was leaning more towards the hitting side. "Thirty two points! Sixty four points!" The last blow was delivered by her whole hand, rather than just two fingers sending Shino flying a little ways.

Kiba and Kurenai, who had not even started their match, had instead watched the whole thing. They now looked at Hinata with an expression of awe.

Kiba was the first to speak up, Shino now leaning on the ground breathing heavily, and Kurenai too busy smiling. "Hinata! Wh…when did you…"

"I didn't…" Hinata interrupted, her byakugan gone, back into her original stance of staring at the ground. "I missed almost half the pressure points, so the attack was basically half of what it should have been…"

"Regardless as to if that is true Hinata, you still did very well. It appears Shino's out of this battle." Kurenai encouraged with a warm smile.

Hinata just nodded solemnly, "Thank you…if this training is over than…I'll just be going…"

And she left the same way she came.

"Well…at least she gained a bit of confidence. Did you see her face when she was battling Shino? She really looked sure of herself when readying that 64 strike technique!" Kiba cheered with a big grin. Shino sweat dropped while Kurenai shook her head.

"So ignorant…" Kurenai said with a bit of exasperation, not being the first time Kiba's been unobservant.

"I'm not sure what illusion she had placed on you Kiba, but that was on of the worst spars I've seen her in. She merely rushed haphazardly and unmotivated for a direct strike…" Shino spoke up.

"Not to mention Shino was battling at about 20 of his strength there." Kurenai informed Kiba.

"Really?" Kiba asked. When they realized the question was serious, the other two sighed.

Up in the trees, in an incredibly quiet voice, a hidden figure spoke. "Hmph…idiot…" the cold voice stated.

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A gentle breeze was blowing by as Hinata continued to scan the array of many colored flowers laid out before her, trying to find ones that would look good together. The bouquet's in the Hyuga compound were getting a bit old, needing a fresh batch.

Not particularly liking the roses like everyone else had, she enjoyed the more unpopular ones like lilacs. Any flower with a purple or light blue color could always hold her interest for a long time. She would just stare dreamily at them, loving the soothing color and peaceful structure of the flower. The serenity of flower picking and arranging is why it became such a hobby of hers.

The calm silence was interrupted by the soft pattering of footsteps. Hinata drew her gaze from the lilacs long enough to see who her visitor was, whom turned out to be Kurenai. She was as messy haired as ever, and her red eyes carried the motherly care that always shone when confronting Hinata.

"Hinata, I didn't expect to see you here. Than again, I suppose you always did enjoy nature." Kurenai greeted with a warm smile. Hinata didn't notice the expression though, as she was mesmerized once again by the swaying flower in front of her. "It's a great place to come to when saddened or angered. Have you ever tried just staring up at the clouds on a beautiful day, laying down in the field of flowers? It's a sight that could calm just about any soul…"  
"Kurenai-sensei…" Hinata spoke up. Kurenai nodded her head to show her attention was her's. "Thank you for your kindness. I realize you three are trying to cheer me up. It was obvious Shino wasn't using his full strength, and I know you had a mission today with Asuma. You wouldn't cancel that just to come here and rest in the field…"

While listening intently, Kurenai sensed another figure behind her, most likely behind some bushes, but she paid no attention to it.

"But I want you to know…I'll be okay. I feel a bit down…but it's not the first time this has happened. I just need time."

Kurenai smiled down at her student. _'She really has grown…maybe not in terms of physical strength…but she's greatly matured…'_

"Anyways…I have to go now. Kiba told me he wanted to talk to me about something at his house…" Hinata informed her sensei, standing up with the basket of flowers in her hand.

Kurenai sweat dropped. "Ehehehe…yeah…about that…"

"He's going to try to cheer me up?" Hinata answered for her.

"Yeah, but Hinata, he really wants to help you out. Could you just play along?"

Hinata laughed at Kurenai's request. Nevertheless she nodded her head and went on her way. Kurenai also than stood up, at the same time hearing a small rustle of leaves behind her. _'Heh…you couldn't be any more obvious. Kakashi may not know you very well…but you've got another thing coming with me…' _She thought to herself before leaving.

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"Hey Hinata! You made it." Kiba greeted at his front door, giving his guest a wide grind.

"Yes…I came as fast as I could…" Hinata replied, trying to look as miserable as she could. Though she felt considerably better since her talk with Kurenai. It always made her feel better knowing how much her team cared for her. In fact, she was laughing inside right now that their plan to cheer her up had now turned into one to trick Kiba.

"Come on in!" Kiba told her, grabbing one of her hands and dragging her into the house, only to be greeted by a small horde of dogs. Hinata could barely hold in a giggle as she watched Kiba's face turn into one of frustration as he tried to weave himself and Hinata through them all.

Than again, that's what Hinata had come over for. The dogs all really loved her, and being around Kiba and Akamaru all the time, Hinata had grown to love them back, though she used to find them a bit intimidating. She came over to play with them a lot now. Kiba however had another plan for today.

They took a few dogs outside and watched them run around. Hinata played fetch with one of her favorites, a black lab that seemed really attached to her, for quite a while. Her facial expression showed nothing but joy as she continued to play around with them.

Kiba grinned, watching Hinata sit down to rest. _'Looks like she's finally cheered up…wait.'_ Kiba train of thought halted, as he began to see something. _'I managed to cheer her up when 4 others couldn't…that has to mean something.'_ With a confident smile, he scooted closer to her.

"Hey Hinata, feeling better?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She looked back at him and nodded her head. "Yes Kiba…thank you."

It was a few more seconds before Kiba spoke up again, deciding now was a better time than any. "Umm…Hinata…I was wondering…"

She merely looked at him with a puzzled stare. "What is it Kiba?"

He nervously scooted even closer to her, staring into her eyes. "Well…I just wanted to know. Would you maybe…you know…want to go out with me some time? Like…on a date?"

Hinata merely sat there, shocked beyond words. It took her a moment before she could comprehend what he had just said. "W…what? A date?"

"Yeah…it's just…I really like you…so I thought…" Kiba whispered, leaning into her, their faces slowly drawing closer.

It was than…that Hinata fainted.

"Oi! H…Hinata!" Kiba shouted, as her body collapsed into his. He gently shook her, before realizing it was no good. "Sigh…Hinata…you weirdo." Kiba mocked, picking her up to take her to his bedroom.

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Hinata's eyes slowly opened, looking out into the darkness outside a window. The dreary night sky was void of any stars. She sat up and looked around, not realizing she was in someone else's house for a while. Once she did, a door opened close by her.

"So you're finally up, huh?" Kiba asked, walking in with a smug grin on, still laughing inside at her reaction earlier.

"Kiba?" was all she could say back, her mind trying to quickly put together what she was doing in Kiba's home. She soon remembered fainting, and shortly afterwards also remembered why. She sat up on the bed and looked at Kiba nervously. Kiba understood, and sat down next to her.

"So?" He asked her, dreading the answer he expected to come.

Hinata looked down at her feet for a while, thinking hard. "Umm…Kiba…" she started, making sure she had his attention. "I…I don't know if it's a good idea…"

Kiba's face fell, placing his head on his knees. But he quickly regained himself and smiled. "Hey, that's okay. But…if you don't mind me asking…why not?"

Not surprised he had asked this, she had already readied her answer. "You're a really good person Kiba, and I'm glad we're such good friends…but I just don't like you in that way…I see you as more of a brother. Maybe at some point I could gain a crush on you, but for now it's just too weird. I'm sorry…"

"Hey, don't apologize Hinata. It's your choice. I'm not going to deny I'm a bit disappointed, but I can't expect you to say yes just because I like you. Anyways, come on. Helmut's upset because you fainted in the middle of playing with him." He told her, referring to the black lab Hinata favored over most of the others.

Hinata flashed a warm smile. "Thank you Kiba…" she told him, before hugging him and than walking outside to play with Helmut.

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"All right Tenten…Hinata should be here soon."

"Right…but Neji…how should we talk to her about this. I know we're trying to cheer her up, but I don't want to say anything about her father she'd find offensive."

"Tenten…Hinata's told me she sees you as her best girlfriend. I doubt anything you say would offend her."

Tenten and Neji stood in a hallway near the entrance of the Hyuga compound. They hadn't heard of Kakashi, and the rest of team 8's efforts to help out Hinata, so they had their own plans to cheer her up. They eventually decided they would approach the situation directly, talking to Hinata about her father and skills.

Neji activated his byakugan to look outside, seeing Hinata making her way to the compound. "Here she comes…" he quickly informed Tenten. They both went into the living room, wanting to make it look like a chance meeting with her.

As soon as they heard the door open, the two of them walked back out into the hallway. The first things they noticed was a graceful smile traced on her face, and the sound of someone humming a delighted tune. Neji and Tenten stood shocked and confused, as Hinata practically skipped towards them.

"Hello cousin. I'm off to bed. Have a good time you two." Hinata told them, kissing Neji on the cheek, and giving Tenten a tight hug. She than continued down the hallway towards her bedroom, twirling around halfway there.

Tenten was the first to form words. "Either Naruto's asked her out…or her father finally brought her into insanity…" She whispered, Neji nodding his head in agreement.

* * *

4ever : 3rd chappie finally! OMG! YAYS! I'm soooooooo sorry everyone that it took so long.  
Kiba : Stop being so lazy than. (Still upset about this story not being a hinata/kiba one)  
4ever : B...but...the foruming games got me addicted...sniff..  
Hinata : Well I thought this was a good chapter...  
Kiba : Yeah...but if it was up to 4ever, you'd have like 3 boyfriends Hinata.  
Hinata : (Faints)  
Shino : She needs to learn to stop doing that...  
Kurenai : Naruto, Sasuke, and Kiba. You really need to choose 4ever, and stick with that one.  
4ever : Yeah yeah...everyone's a critic... 


End file.
